Ensign Merrill — page 176: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

other’ Darden of Ayounded eornPades Woda. iad ee oe work seeking a passage over the cliffs forming their prison walls. He mechanically rang the engine-room bell, stopping : the ship, and then turned to meet the second officer, who — had rushed on deck at the terrible shock caused by the explosion. Watson’s face was white, and he shook slightly as he looked from the ruin in the channelto — Merrill. “TJ—by Joye! sir; this is an awful fix,’’ he ‘tam- ie mered, ‘‘What could have caused it?’’ ‘The pirates,’? replied Mark laconically. cy am afraid they have played a trump this time.’’ < ““T wonder if they didn’t mean for 1 to fall upon us,”’ ventured the doctor, joining them “Highly probable,’’? coincided the ensign. — <They may have intended the rocky mass to crush us, pes touched their dynamite a few moments off too late.’ ‘“Well, it is almost as effective,’’ remarked Watson. ““We are caged in this place, surely. But we can make | them pay dearly for it.’’ Mark turned to the Chinese renegade. Chow Tow liad fallen over against his guard, motionless from fear. His yellow skin had changed to a sickly pallor, and he a looked the picture of despair. One glance at the fellow carried conviction of his innocence; still it was with the utmost sternness that the ensign addressed him. “What means this, you scoundrel? You have led : | us into a trap,’’ he said, approaching closer to the mis- — i erable pilot. _ “N-no, your highness, I am not to blame for ‘thee By. the truth of Confucius, i know nothing about it, The explosion has been caused by the devil chief. He a the second chief alone have planned it.”’ ae | 1s it you would not be aware of Ha like .